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Post by nhlivefreeordie on Jun 8, 2012 7:51:54 GMT -4
I agree with the exercise part to a point. After being down for two weeks last month over nothing serious, I am more readily embracing the work smarter not harder attitude. I need the body to keep moving and am starting to think of ways to not do any damage. I never used to think about things like that, since the Lyme disease and surgery, and getting older, I find I need to think differently if I intend to continue with this lifestyle and to make the leap to full time homesteading when we get to NH. We spent all day yesterday driving around northwest Grafton county looking for small farms that were up for sale. I am thinking that perhaps an already operating farm would be much easier than transforming our hardwood covered land into tillable ground.
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Post by Martin on Jun 9, 2012 0:03:46 GMT -4
You can't rent a jack hammer anywhere close? A - That costs money. B - They are noisy and jarring. C - Did that once and walked funny for three days after. Too bad you're not closer, I've got an electric one that's actually fun to run. It's sure helped me a lot of times. ~Martin
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Post by Martin on Jun 9, 2012 0:05:56 GMT -4
We spent all day yesterday driving around northwest Grafton county looking for small farms that were up for sale. I am thinking that perhaps an already operating farm would be much easier than transforming our hardwood covered land into tillable ground. Sounds like a good idea. I wish that I'd bought a place with a decent dwelling already present. ~Martin
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Post by leatherneckpa on Jun 9, 2012 16:57:47 GMT -4
I finished installing hose fasteners today so the main garden now has a fully functional drip irrigation system that will be get it's first use tonight. I didn't bust any concrete today though. I decided to take a day off from that, kind of.
See, the way this pool was built was they poured the concrete bottom, with a bunch of rebar stuck in it to support the sides. While it was still wet they slid the sides down and sank them into the concrete. Then they back-filled behind the sides about half way up. At the top of the sides there is another sleeve into which they placed a wide, flat U-shaped piece. The back part of that is stuck down into the backfill. Two rings of rebar are tied to the flats left facing up. Next they laid down that damned 10 gauge wire mesh and poured 3-4 inches of concrete as the 4' wide inner apron. The finish was that 3-4 inches of loose concrete that makes up the outer apron.
I learned all that as I was breaking the fiberglass walls apart and knocking them into the pool this morning, around 8 am. The pain of it was that the top of the sides had a kind of U-shaped lip that tied it all into the concrete aprons. The only thing left to do with the sides is to take a reciprocating saw and cut down the lips where the side panels are bolted to each other at the seams.
Yesterday, while talking to my neighbor I stated that my goal is to crack all of the concrete and have it all in the pool before July 4th. This morning I took a can of spray paint out and numbered out what I considered to be reasonable day's work. When I was done it appears that I can actually have all the concrete inside the hole by June 21st. So I decided to give myself a day of rest after I had spent all that time busting fiberglass. The fiberglass was almost as much work as the concrete. Almost.
The past two days I've gone through two bandanas a day sweating. You want to know how I know when to stop for a break. There's so much sweat in the bandana that it starts to drip down onto my glasses. That means it's time for a break. I have been able to wring the sweat out of the bandana each time. "Sweat is good. Extreme sweat is extremely good!"
Supposed to break 90* tomorrow. You can bet that I'll be breaking concrete early, probably at 8 am again.
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Post by azlonerider on Jun 10, 2012 11:45:30 GMT -4
Mike, that's a lot of work... I like what your doing, and respect your perseverance..... BTW it's 8:45 here and already broke 90
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Post by leatherneckpa on Jun 11, 2012 9:21:10 GMT -4
So, yesterday it was supposed to hit 90 again, but I was feeling pretty good when I woke up so I started busting concrete. Now, I was a good neighbor and waited until 8 o'clock to start. And I got the two blocks numbered for the 9th done before I lost my shade and it started getting hot.
I mostly puttered around after that, did a little woodworking, did a little gardening, and worked on transferring compost bin to bin. I managed to run the well dry twice watering the veggie garden and then the front cottage garden. I've got beans coming up in the Three Sister block now. No sign of the corn or sunflowers yet.
Then once the sun had settled behind the mountains I went out and busted two more blocks of concrete. I was then completely caught up to date.
This morning I went out as soon as the bread-winner left for work and busted two more blocks, just to stay current. It took a little over an hour and it was a great sweat. The only down side was that the album I was listening to on the MP3 player ended about 15 minutes before I was done. I really have to find someplace to clip it where the headphone cord won't interfere with my swing.
I'm off to Home Depot now to buy peat moss, vermiculite, and compost to make a planting mix for my raspberry boxes.
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Post by capecmom on Jun 11, 2012 21:09:56 GMT -4
MIke I planted my raspberries in boxes this year and they seem to be doing really well! James made the boxes for me and I transplanted a bunch of canes early Spring time. We're hoping that the boxes prevent the raspberries from moving into the lawn...so far so good! I seem to have a lot of berries starting.
Wayne, I think buying a preexisting farm is a great idea! We've had to do everything from scratch and it takes so long!!!!!!!!
I started seriously exercising today-granted I do alot on the weekend just doing chores but today I started walking at lunch-2 miles in thirty five minutes-not bad-and half of it was in my stocking feet! I made the mistake of bringing shoes that were not broken in the I pulled them off half way through. People at work saw me on Main street walking in my socks and were aghast! "You trying to be like that Cody guy???" one even offered to give me a ride back to work but I made it back no problem....walking is great-I'm going to try and do it again tomorrow.
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jaye
New Member
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Post by jaye on Jun 12, 2012 10:43:16 GMT -4
sorry I haven't checked in for a couple of weeks. I have done nothing in June....we have had 2 days of sun the rest of the month it has been raining. It is almost like living on the west side of the cascades with the coastal influence. Usually by this time of year everything is warm and sunny. My peppers got blown away...literally all the leaves just whipped off of them. Potatoes are doing great and need to be hilled again. Strawberries look good. But since Memorial day gray days. I am going to start walking at work as well. When it stops raining. I can't believe the weather...oh well I should be grateful better than a couple of years back when we were triple digit this time of year. ..Live and learn.
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jaye
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Post by jaye on Jun 12, 2012 10:47:47 GMT -4
As an after thought Leather I know you are liking the exercise and all but I think if I had a defunct below ground pool I would have put a roof on it and called it a root cellar . LOL
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Post by Martin on Jun 12, 2012 18:13:17 GMT -4
I started walking again a couple weeks ago. I prefer to walk in the dark. I recently bought a new cell phone with an MP3 player built in (Samsung r355c) and I've been listening to Thoreau's Walden while walking for a little bit of an escape from civilization! LOL
~Martin
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Post by leatherneckpa on Jun 12, 2012 18:13:38 GMT -4
jaye, that wouldn't have worked. The deep end of this pool was a big bowl, all round sides and bottom, no flats at all.
I almost bit off more than I could chew today. There was finally a break in the rain so I decided to try to get my concrete done for the day. This block was far and away the hardest one I've tackled 'til now. First of all, it was easily the largest to date. Thus it was too heavy to lift even one edge. Second, it was a wedge shaped and locked in on three sides, so I only had one edge to work from. I also found that along the outside edge it was nearly 6" thick instead of the 3-4 I've grown accustomed to. But I got'r done!! It took me all of an hour and 45 minutes, but I got'r done. I don't believe I could have done that a week and a half ago.
Another thing that was different today was that I wasn't throwing concrete into the hole. I was loading it into a wheelbarrow and dumping it back in the deep end of the pool. I want to have LOTS of concrete back in that corner because that is where I plant to build my workshop. The last load I sort of had a full head of steam (and very little brains) and I determined I was going to do it in one load, not two. Well, let me tell you, it's bloody hard to push a wheelbarrow with 300+ pounds of concrete in it on soft, flattened tires. But I got'r done!
Of course, I only got one block done today instead of the two I had scheduled. The block for tomorrow is just as big as this one was and is also bordered on three sides again. Bummer. Actually, before I can start busting I have to take my hammer drill out there and score a break line across it right behind my canvas garage. The last two feet of the garage are sitting on that slab and I don't want to take it out from under the garage.
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Post by nhlivefreeordie on Jun 12, 2012 21:35:29 GMT -4
Wow, sounds like everyone is being productive. We had a fantastic vacation, really saw a lot and covered most of the state, some parts twice. I really put everything here out of my mind for this vacation, after having paid every debt. I had, down to ZERO before we left, we just let loose, it was awesome! Ate way too much good seafood, found an organic restaurant not too far from the property that is wonderful. Only 5 tables, they had a floor plant growing out of the bottom of an old shop vac bottom, LOL, the owner is a re-purposer to the nth degree. We even found the church we have been searching for, we are torn between the same time next year, or a fall one with the foliage.
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Post by leatherneckpa on Jun 13, 2012 13:49:30 GMT -4
Thankfully it’s cool outside still. I started busting concrete at 7:45 and stopped for a break at 9:30. Still working on just one block. I suppose I was letting my testosterone do the talking when I decided I was going to get these two blocks done yesterday. Good grief! What was I thinking? I’m only about 2/3 of the way through this block still. I figure I’ll go back out in about 45 minutes and finish it up. Don’t know if I’ll even try to get one of the blocks with today’s date on them done today or not. I’m sort of thinking that 2 hours of busting concrete is enough for ANY day.
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Post by leatherneckpa on Jun 13, 2012 13:50:13 GMT -4
There is a principle in physics, and something similar in business, called the “Point of Diminishing Returns”. Basically it means that the results (returns) you are getting no longer offset the energy (money) you are putting into the system. I believe I have discovered my personal point of diminishing return for busting concrete. It appears to happen somewhere around the 1½ to 2 hour mark. I went back out and started a second session on that block. As I looked at it I revised my earlier statement that it was about 1/2 done. I’d say it was more like 1/3 done. It is STILL not finished!! Probably about 5/6ths or 7/8ths, but not finished. I am though!! It is NOT my imagination either, but that block actually got thicker the closer I got to the center of it. I suspect it is because of the piece I don’t want to lose that is under my garage but I still can’t lever and lift any of this slab. This one is being done the hard way, all the way. Anyway, I finished dumping the current wheelbarrow load and picked up the sledge to start to swing. After three swings I decided I was no longer capable of putting enough energy into the swing the get an acceptable result. Heck, I couldn’t even get any momentum into the swing anymore. It was more like raise the sledge and then just let it fall. I decided that I just wasn’t going to finish that block today. Total time spent busting concrete today was 2½ hours. I figure that’s about 30-45 minutes beyond my maximum effective capacity.
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Post by leatherneckpa on Jun 14, 2012 7:08:13 GMT -4
martin[/b[, does it look like it will be useful?
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